The Mountains Are Calling And I Must Go

Happy Tuesday! Today I wanted to share a photo that I captured this morning of one of my favorite places on earth. 

It has been so hectic lately and my husband knew after my surgery, that it was time to get away. The mountains were calling and we must go. What a nice surprise and getaway for my upcoming birthday! I wanted to be sure to bring my camera gear that I have had stashed away since I got my Iphone 7+.  It takes awesome photos, but there is still something to be said about the good old DSLR camera. I was determined to dust it off and capture some of the beautiful scenery that surrounds me. 

This is a photo of Mount Lawrence Grassi that is in the background of the town of Canmore. I captured this photo at sunrise this morning. It is a cold, snowy November day, but that doesn't stop me. Ski season will be upon this area soon and it gets me in the Christmas spirit. I just might have to check out the shops and do some Christmas shopping. 

When I was a child, I camped in this area probably at least one hundred times. It is my old stomping grounds where I went up and down the cutlines with my dirt motorcycle, played hide and go seek at night with my brothers and camping friends and watched the stars. 

My family had dirt motorcycles and an RV and it seemed like almost every weekend from March to October, we would head out to the mountains near our home and camp. Canmore was a very small town when I was a child, but now it is a bustling town with shops, restaurants and hotels and some of the best cross-country skiing and downhill skiing in the world. I love where I live. 

Usually I share my paper crafting projects, but my other passion is photographing the mountains and wildlife. Now off to go for a hike and see if my husband and I spot some wildlife. 

Have a beautiful day!

Canada Layout For A Flair For Buttons

Hello friends! I hope you are having a good weekend so far.  If you are looking for the blog hop please go here.

Today I am up on the A Flair For Buttons  blog with another layout and today it's all about my country Canada.  The Canada Flair Buttons set have recently been added to the shop and when I saw these I had to create a layout.  I painted my nation's colors of red and white and die cut some maple leaves (which are on the Canada Flag) on my Silhouette Cameo as well as the Canada die cut title.  I also used some washi tape and stickers from Bella Blvd. as well as some Tim Holtz Distress Paints in the colors Picket Fence and Barn Door.

Here is the flair button set that I created with for this layout.  It can be found in the A Flair For Buttons Store.

Canada Flair

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Have an awesome weekend!

Remembrance Day Layout

Hello friends! Happy Sunday!  Today I wanted to share a layout I created for Remembrance Day.

I wanted to honour all the men and women who have sacrificed to keep my country,  Canada free. Freedom is something I never take for granted.

A few years back, I photographed a Red Poppy in a friend's back yard and this is what inspired me to create this layout.

I began with a piece of white card stock and added some clear gesso and then added some blue acrylic paint.  I applied some modelling paste to a stencil to give it more texture.

I used my Silhouette Cameo with the Flower Power Cut File from The Cut Shoppe and cut out the flower background on some red card stock and took my scissors and carefully cut a few of the flowers as I wanted to only use about four of them on my layout.

 I added some red watercolour paint below some of the flower petals and in random areas and then added some black paint splatters.

Next I cut my title on my Cameo on some black card stock and then adhered the papers, flowers, flair, tags, and twine. Finally I added some zig zag stitching with my sewing machine below the title.

I journaled on the journaling card and voila! It is completed.  This layout was inspired by a sketch I saw this morning at Creative Scrappers.

I rotated the sketch like so...

This felt special to creae this layout and it made me proud to be Canadian.  I hope you enjoyed your visit. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Canada Day!

Canada -- Published In Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine Summer 2013 Issue

After a very difficult two weeks in my area with all the devastating floods, I wanted to take a moment and reflect about my country Canada.  I am so blessed and thankful to live in a free country and enjoy a beautiful life.  Today is Canada Day and every year on July 1, Canadians celebrates their country.  Usually there is fireworks and sometimes festivities to mark the occasion.  I love my country!

I wanted to share a video that Tom Brokaw, an American journalist, narrates.  It explains our country perfectly:

There are so many Canadian celebrities that I made a list of a few of them.  Some are musicians, actors, actresses, singers and athletes:

Ryan Reynolds

Avril Lavigne

Elisha Cuthbert

Justin Bieber

Howie Mandel

Jim Carrey

Keanu Reaves

Kim Cattrall

Mario Lemeiux

Michael Buble

Mike Myers

Nathon Fillion 

Nelly Furtado

Neve Campbell

Chad Kroeger

Ryan Gosling

Rachel McAdams

Sandra Oh

Shania Twain

Wayne Gretzky

William Shatner

Celine Dion

Donald Sutherland

John Candy

Leslie Nielsen

Eugene Levy

Paul Gross

Michael J. Fox

Bryan Adams

Drake

Alanis Morisette

Jann Arden

Diana Krall

Carly Rae Jepsen

Anne Murray

Sarah McLachlin 

K.D. Lang

Paul Anka

Gordon Lightfoot

Dave Thomas

Pamela Anderson

Dan Akroyd

Thanks for stopping by!

Scrapbook Challenges Sketch #321

Another reveal at Scrapbook Challenges and I loved the simplicity of this sketch.

Scrapbook Challenges Sketch #321 Single

Scrapbook Challenges Sketch #321 Double

I thought this would be a great sketch to create a layout on my country. I love Canada and am very proud to live in a beautiful, free country.

Canada, My Country

I used the Echo Park's Sweet Day Collection for the patterned papers and my trusted Silhouette Cameo for the title and the maple leaves.  I also finished off the white space with a spattering of Smooch.

While you are here, check out Scrapbook Challenges to see what the entire team created with these sketches and play along.  Have a great week!

Scrap It With A Song - "Our Country"

The Rock Chicks at Scrap It With A Song are back with another reveal to the song "Our Country" by John Mellencamp.

I am proud to live in Canada, a beautiful, large, free country.  Here is my layout that I created for the challenge:

This has been removed for publication in Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine Summer 2013 Edition which goes on sale June 1, 2013.  

Come play along with us and link up your creation by November 30, 2012 here.  You could win this adorable Harvest Lane 6X6 Paper Pack from Simple Stories.

Have a wonderful day!

Flower Photos

I love to do some gardening.  In Canada, our growing season is very short so I like to go outside as much as possible and enjoy my flowers with my camera in hand.  Enjoy!  Take time to smell the flowers!

Lobelia

Lobelia

Salvia

Pansies

Viola

Marigolds

Million Bells

Pansies

Pansies and Lobelia

Pansies

Pansies

Not sure what these are.  Anyone know?

Million Bells

Pansies

Gerbera Daisies

Reiger Begonias

More Pansies

Pansies

Pansies